Genesis 21

The Birth of Isaac

1 The Lord came to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised. 2 Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him. 3 Abraham named his son who was born to him-the one Sarah bore to him-Isaac. 4 When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God had commanded him.

5 Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Sarah said, "God has made me laugh, and everyone who hears will laugh with me."

7 She also said, "Who would have told Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne a son for him in his old age."

Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

8 The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned. 9 But Sarah saw the son mocking-the one Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham.

10 So she said to Abraham, "Drive out this slave with her son, for the son of this slave will not be a co-heir with my son Isaac!"
11 Now this was a very difficult thing for Abraham because of his son. 12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not be concerned about the boy and your slave. Whatever Sarah says to you, listen to her, because your offspring will be traced through Isaac.

13 But I will also make a nation of the slave's son because he is your offspring."
14 Early in the morning Abraham got up, took bread and a waterskin, [put them] on Hagar's shoulders, and sent her and the boy away. She left and wandered in the Wilderness of Beer-sheba. 15 When the water in the skin was gone, she left the boy under one of the bushes.

16 Then she went and sat down nearby, about a bowshot away, for she said, "I can't [bear to] watch the boy die!" So as she sat nearby, she wept loudly.
17 God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What's wrong, Hagar? Don't be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy from the place where he is. 18 Get up, help the boy up, and support him, for I will make him a great nation." 19 Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the waterskin and gave the boy a drink. 20 God was with the boy, and he grew; he settled in the wilderness and became an archer.

21 He settled in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Abraham's Covenant with Abimelech

22 At that time Abimelech, [accompanied] by Phicol the commander of his army, said to Abraham, "God is with you in everything you do.

23 Swear to me by God here and now, that you will not break an agreement with me or with my children and descendants. As I have been loyal to you, so you will be loyal to me and to the country where you are a foreign resident."
24 And Abraham said, "I swear [it]."

25 But Abraham complained to Abimelech because of the water well that Abimelech's servants had seized.

26 Abimelech replied, "I don't know who did this thing. You didn't report anything to me, so I hadn't heard about it until today."
27 Abraham took sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them made a covenant. 28 Abraham separated seven ewe lambs from the flock.

29 And Abimelech said to Abraham, "Why have you separated these seven ewe lambs?"
30 He replied, "You are to accept the seven ewe lambs from my hand so that this act will serve as my witness that I dug this well." 31 Therefore that place was called Beer-sheba because it was there that the two of them swore an oath.

32 After they had made a covenant at Beer-sheba, Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, left and returned to the land of the Philistines.
33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of Yahweh, the Everlasting God.

34 And Abraham lived as a foreigner in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Genesis 21

1 And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did unto Sarah as he had spoken.2 And Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.3 And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.4 And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.5 And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh. Every one that heareth will laugh with me.7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age.

8 And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son. For the son of this handmaid shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.11 And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son.12 And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy handmaid. In all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice. For in Isaac shall thy seed be called.13 And also of the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.14 And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and gave her the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.15 And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot. For she said, Let me not look upon the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and wept.17 And God heard the voice of the lad. And the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not. For God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.18 Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thy hand. For I will make him a great nation.19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.20 And God was with the lad, and he grew. And he dwelt in the wilderness, and became, as he grew up, an archer.21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

22 And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest.23 Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son’s son. But according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.24 And Abraham said, I will swear.25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of water, which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.26 And Abimelech said, I know not who hath done this thing. Neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.27 And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech. And they two made a covenant.28 And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.29 And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?30 And he said, These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.31 Wherefore he called that place Beer-sheba. Because there they sware both of them.32 So they made a covenant at Beer-sheba. And Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the Everlasting God.34 And Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.